Wireless access devices are becoming more prevalent. Wireless access can be implemented in many different forms, including connecting a wireless access device (client) through a wireless mesh network that provides connection to a wired device. FIG. 1 shows a wireless mesh network that includes a client device 140. The client device 140 is wirelessly connected to an access node 130. The wireless access node 130 is wirelessly connected to a wired gateway 110 through another wireless access node 120. The wired gateway 110 can provide access to the internet 100.
The transfer of information from the client 140 to the gateway 110 is generally two-way. That is, generally information flows from the client device 140 to the gateway 110 (generally referred to as upstream traffic) and information flows from the gateway 110 to the client device 140 (generally referred to as downstream traffic). The amount of data that can flow between the gateway 110 and the client device 140 is called throughput. It is desirable to maximize the throughput of wireless mesh networks.
The communication between the gateway 110, the access nodes 120, 130 and the clients 140 is over a predefined transmission channel. For example, a specific range of the frequency spectrum is typically allocated for the transmission between the devices. Typically, particular frequencies of transmission operate better in particular environments. For example, certain ranges of transmission frequencies suffer from more multi-path and fading than other ranges of frequency transmission in a particular setting, such as, a downtown with car traffic. Other ranges of transmission frequencies suffer more multi-path and fading than other ranges of frequency transmission in other settings, such as, a forest.
Mesh networks can alleviate the effects of fading and multi-path by providing routing path alternatives. However, mesh networks having a single transmission frequency can still suffer from transmission signal degradation.
Upstream traffic of an access node can suffer from congestion if a large number of clients are connected to the access node. That is, a large number of clients demanding high data rates can stress the upstream data path between the access node and the gateway.
It is desirable to have a mesh network having improved throughput, and reliable communication between access nodes and gateways of the mesh network.